Storyboard Budget by Deliverable — UK 2026 Pricing Guide

Updated: May 2026 · Written by Seb Antoniou

TL;DR

How budgets break down

A storyboard quote is the sum of three things: the time the artist spends drawing, the time spent on revisions, and any usage uplift if the boards are doing more than a single-campaign job. For UK commercial work in 2026, the formula that holds across deliverables is:

Total = (day rate × days) + (additional revision rounds) + (usage uplift if applicable) + (rush uplift if applicable)

The day rate is set by the artist’s experience tier — covered in detail in the UK rates guide. The number of days is set by the frame count and finish level. Revisions are normally one round included; additional rounds add 0.5–1 day each or are quoted per frame. Usage is normally work-for-hire by default; uplifts apply if the boards extend beyond the original campaign. Rush is +40–50% under 48 hours — see the rush-fee guide.

The frame-per-day baseline is 15–25 B&W frames per day for a working senior boarder, as documented in UK practitioner rate cards. That drops to 6–12 per day for tonal or colour finish and 4–8 per day for true pitch-visual quality. Animatic delivery adds +25–50% over the static storyboard total to cover timing, scene order and MP4 export.

The rest of this guide walks through each deliverable type with worked examples.

30-second TVC storyboard

The most-quoted deliverable in UK commercial storyboarding. A typical 30s spot needs 15–25 frames to cover the master cut, hero shots, transitions and end-frame. Standard turnaround is 3–5 working days at mid-tier rates.

Worked example (mid-tier, B&W, standard turnaround):

• 18 frames at 18 frames/day = ~1 day base draw
• Add 0.5 day for thumbnails, scene/shot numbering, timing notes
• Add 0.5 day for one round of amends
• Total: 2 days × £450/day = £900 base → £1,200–£1,500 final invoice

Worked example (senior commercial, B&W, standard turnaround):

• 20 frames at 18 frames/day = ~1.2 days base draw
• Add 0.5 day kick-off + amends
• Total: 2 days × £750/day = £1,500 base → £1,800–£2,500 final

Worked example (top-tier, brand-name TVC, fast turnaround):

• 22 frames, polished, pre-pro lead attendance
• 2.5 days × £1,400/day = £3,500

Fiverr’s 2026 commercial cost guide puts the same deliverable at $300–$800 (≈£240–£640) for a 12–24 panel medium-complexity board, which sits at the lower end of the UK band because it reflects the global marketplace average rather than London-tier commercial rates specifically.

Typical UK total: £1,200–£3,500.

60-second TVC storyboard

A 60-second commercial typically needs 25–40 frames and runs 4–6 working days at standard turnaround. The math doubles the 30s in some categories but not in others — frame count roughly doubles, but kick-off and revision overhead are shared with the 30s if both are briefed together.

Worked example (senior commercial, B&W):

• 32 frames at 18 frames/day = ~1.8 days base draw
• Add 1 day for hero-shot polish, timing notes, and pre-pro material
• Add 1 day for one round of amends
• Total: 4 days × £750/day = £3,000 → £3,500–£4,500 final invoice

Worked example (top-tier brand campaign):

• 35 frames, polished, pre-pro lead, animatic upgrade option
• 5 days × £1,200/day = £6,000 → £6,500 with animatic

Typical UK total: £2,500–£6,500.

15-second cutdown

Almost always bundled with the 30s or 60s master board rather than quoted standalone. A 15s cutdown needs 6–10 frames — usually 0.5–1 day of additional work because the hero shots are already drawn for the master.

Typical bundled uplift: +£300–£800 on the master board.

Standalone 15s cutdowns (when there’s no master to bundle with) sit at £600–£1,500, depending on tier.

90-second hero TVC

The largest single-spot deliverable in UK commercial work. 50–80 frames, 6–10 working days, often quoted as a project fee rather than day rate because the scope is large enough to justify the fixed-price model.

Worked example (senior commercial, B&W):

• 65 frames at 18 frames/day = ~3.6 days
• Add 1.5 days for scene structure, hero polish, timing
• Add 1.5 days for revisions
• Total: 6.5 days × £750/day = £4,900 → £5,500–£7,500 final

Worked example (top-tier brand campaign):

• 75 frames, polished, pre-pro lead, animatic
• 8 days × £1,400/day = £11,200 → £12,000 with animatic uplift

Typical UK total: £4,500–£12,000.

Music video storyboard

Music videos in 2026 require 40–80 panels for full-length cuts, per UK industry guidance, with the count varying by label budget and director ambition. Standard turnaround is 5–10 working days. Project fees are more common than day rates because labels want a single number.

Worked example (mid-tier, B&W, indie label):

• 50 frames at 20 frames/day = 2.5 days
• Add 1 day for scene structure
• Add 1 day for revisions
• Total: 4.5 days × £500/day = £2,250 → £2,500–£3,500 final

Worked example (major label, top-tier boarder, hero music video):

• 70 frames, tonal finish, multiple director rounds
• 8 days × £900/day = £7,200 → £7,500–£8,000 final

Typical UK total: £2,500–£8,000.

Animatic frames

An animatic is a storyboard with timing, scene order and an MP4 export. The board itself is the same; the uplift covers cutting the frames to the script’s timing, adding scratch audio or holds, and exporting a video file the agency can review in real time.

Standard uplift: +25–50% over the static storyboard total. A 30s TVC animatic on top of a £2,000 storyboard adds £500–£1,000. A 60s animatic on top of a £4,000 board adds £1,000–£2,000.

Vox Illustration’s per-frame economics confirm a 1.5×–2× per-frame multiplier when animatic delivery is priced per panel rather than per project. For the broader animation/animatic budget context, Media Village’s UK 2026 animation pricing guide puts comprehensive UK animation production at £1,200–£10,000 depending on length and style, which sets the upper bound on what an animatic alone (without full animation) can sensibly cost.

Typical UK animatic add-on: £500–£3,500 depending on length and finish.

Pitch visual deck

Pitch visuals are a different deliverable from a storyboard. They’re 6–12 colour, polished frames used by an agency or director to sell a treatment to a client or to win a pitch. Frame count is low; finish level is high; turnaround is short. Day rates look high but the project is rarely more than 1–3 days.

Worked example (senior commercial, colour):

• 8 colour frames at 4 frames/day = 2 days
• Add 0.5 day for deck assembly, captions, treatment integration
• Total: 2.5 days × £900/day = £2,250 → £2,500–£3,500 final

Worked example (entry-level pitch, single concept):

• 6 colour frames, single round, B&W underlays
• 1.5 days × £600/day = £900 → £800–£1,500 final

Typical UK total: £800–£3,500.

Shooting board (director-side)

Shooting boards are commissioned by directors rather than agencies, used as the director’s own pre-shoot reference rather than as a client-facing document. They’re sketchier, faster, and more detail-light than agency boards — typically 25–35 frames per day rather than 15–25.

Day rate: £400–£1,200/day depending on tier and the director’s specificity. Standard turnaround is 2–5 days for a full TVC.

Most shooting boards are quoted at day rate rather than project fee because the deliverable is iterative — the director adds shots, removes shots, and reframes as they walk through the script.

Typical UK total for a TVC shooting board: £800–£6,000.

Animation pre-vis & keyframes

Animation pre-vis and keyframe deliverables are usually booked by the week rather than per project. Output is frame-heavy and slower per frame than commercial boarding because each frame carries more character pose and lighting information.

Typical UK weekly rate: £1,800–£4,500/week depending on tier. Most projects run 2–6 weeks.

What inflates the budget

Colour vs B&W. Full colour adds 50–100% to the time, dropping frame output to 6–12 per day. The total cost roughly doubles for the same frame count.

Revision rounds. One round included is the UK norm. Second and third rounds add 0.5–1 day each, or a per-frame rework rate (£25–£60/frame B&W at mid-tier).

Usage rights. Default is work-for-hire on payment. Extended usage (sizzle reels, internal training, social cutdowns repurposed beyond the original campaign) attracts a 10–30% uplift, per AOP-style commissioning guidance.

Rush turnaround. +40–50% under 48 hours; +75–100% same-day or weekend. See the rush-fee guide.

Pre-pro lead. Asking the boarder to attend and lead pre-pro adds a half-day to a full day on the quote.

Director collaboration cycles. Shooting boards developed iteratively with a director typically run 30–50% longer than the equivalent agency-side board.

What deflates the budget

Clear brief. A locked script, a shot list, and reference material cut revision cycles by 30–50%.

Single round of revisions. UK norm; agreeing to it in writing avoids mid-project renegotiation.

B&W finish. Doubles frame output per day vs colour.

Longer timeline. Briefing 5+ working days out avoids the rush rate entirely.

Bundling cutdowns with the master. 15s and 6s cutdowns drawn at the same time as the 30s master add 0.5–1 day rather than a full project quote.

Standard hours. Briefing inside Monday–Friday 9–6 avoids the weekend / out-of-hours uplifts.

How my rates compare

For context, I sit in the senior commercial-to-top-tier band, which means a typical 30-second TVC storyboard from me lands in the £1,800–£3,500 bracket depending on frame count, turnaround and brief clarity. Larger and more complex briefs (60s+, animatic, pitch visuals) are quoted per project. Get a project quote: /contact.

What to ask before signing a quote

1. What’s the frame count in the quote? A quote without a stated frame count is incomplete.
2. What’s the finish level? B&W, tonal, or colour — each is a different number.
3. Is animatic included or separate? If separate, what’s the uplift.
4. How many revision rounds are included? UK norm is one.
5. What’s the per-frame or per-round rate for additional work?
6. Is pre-pro meeting attendance included?
7. What does the rush threshold and rush uplift look like?
8. What’s the usage scope — original campaign only, or extended?

Sources

1. Fiverr — Hire a Storyboard Artist: Costs Explained for 2026 — Per-deliverable commercial ranges and animatic uplift
2. Vox Illustration — Storyboard Cost Per Frame — Per-frame baselines, updated to 2026 figures where available
3. YunoJuno — Storyboard Artist Freelance Rates — UK day-rate benchmark
4. YunoJuno — Creative Freelance Rates Report (2026) — 2026 average £397, top 10% £712
5. Jamie Rae — How storyboard artists should charge — UK practitioner output benchmark
6. SalaryExpert — Storyboard Artist Salary London (2026) — London 2026 salary cross-reference
7. Media Village — Animation Cost Per Minute UK (2026) — UK 2026 animation production cost context
8. BECTU — Rate Cards — UK union rate-card framework
9. Association of Photographers (AOP) — UK commissioning framework and usage-rights guidance
10. Advertising Producers Association (APA) — UK commercial production budget framework

About the author

Seb Antoniou is a London-based storyboard artist with 10+ years across Premier League, Bentley, Coca-Cola, Nike and BBC Sport campaigns. Get in touch: /contact.

Related

• Storyboard Artist Rates UK — full 2026 guide
• Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid — case study
• Seb’s rates page

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Need a quote on a specific project? Tell me about it → /contact